US NIST Sets Retirement Timeline for RSA, ECDSA and Other Traditional Public-Key Algorithms
US NIST document IR 8547 marks traditional public-key algorithms as deprecated after 2030 and disallowed after 2035, setting a concrete migration schedule for the industry.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released document IR 8547, "Transitioning to Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards," on October 27, 2026, setting a concrete retirement timeline for traditional public-key algorithms. The document lists algorithms to be phased out, including RSA, ECDSA and EdDSA for digital signatures, and RSA, Diffie-Hellman and MQV for key establishment. NIST plans to mark these as Deprecated after 2030 and Disallowed in NIST standards and guidelines after 2035.
US federal high-sensitivity systems face earlier deadlines. Under Executive Order 14412 issued in June 2026, federal High Value Assets and High Impact Systems—excluding national security systems—must complete post-quantum key establishment migration by end of 2030 and digital signature transition by end of 2031.
NIST emphasized that migration is not merely algorithm replacement but involves the entire information system and cryptographic supply chain. Network security protocols such as TLS, SSH and IPsec must support new key establishment and authentication mechanisms; libraries like OpenSSL must support post-quantum algorithms; Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) may require firmware updates or redesigns; and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) must adjust certificate issuance, validation and revocation to support post-quantum digital signatures.
NIST lists hybrid cryptographic mechanisms—combining traditional and post-quantum algorithms—as a transitional option to address compatibility needs, but warns that hybrid approaches may increase implementation complexity and security costs. Given that cryptographic algorithms historically require 10 to 20 years to move from standardization to full deployment, NIST recommends that governments and enterprises promptly inventory algorithms in use, assess system dependencies and vendor support capabilities, and plan migration priorities based on data sensitivity.